Bye all

   Well, its early morning.  We are finishing up the packing.  Sipping some coffee.  Watching Zoey pout because she does know we are leaving I swear.  She just lays there with her face down and follows us with her eyes.   OK dog.  Make us feel guilty, LOL.  In fact right now she just crawled under the bed and only her back feet are poking out.



    Chester however acts like he has no clue.  Busy begging he has one thing and one thing only on his mind.  Breakfast.  To have it so simple.

   True to tradition Rick is busy this morning packing his clothes.  True to tradition I was packed last night.  I slept like a lamb until 6,  Rick got up at 4 am.  I feel fresh and ready to go.  Rick....well Rick looks tired.  giggle.

   The weather is going to be a combo.  Cool in the evening, even cold some evenings, but in the 70s to 80 during the day.  So we have to bring both sets of clothes.  I will have Rick bring the saddle bags for the bikes so we can store the extra coats etc if it gets warmer when we ride.  We probably won't hit the trail until Sunday.

   Tonight we are eating at the Firehouse Brewery in Rapid City.  We are spending the night there and then on the cabin in the morning.

   Well, its time to start loading the van.  Can we say excited.  YES we can.

   Last I was looking up some witty travelers prayer to leave as a ending.  Some were pretty bleak,  Please dear lord don't let us crash and burn up in a horrible way I beseech thee blah blah.  Oh my goodness, that sets the mood doesn't it.  Instead I leave this travelers prayer from my heart..

    Dear Lord.  Thanks.  For all that I will see, for all that I will do.  For the means to do it..
 
                            Amen

Its here

  

          It's a miracle.   Got a call.  The hitch is here.  Can you come right out to put it on.  Yes.  Leap out of bed.  Run outside.  Rick!   Rick!    No Rick!  Oh no.  Run back inside.  Call them back to see if we can get it on in a hour.  No go.  Oh No.   Run to the bedroom and start throwing clothes on.  All this after being woken from a sound sleep less then 3 minutes before and I have had No Coffee!
            
    Come running out of the bedroom pulling on my pants and collide with Rick.  Oh good....you have to leave NOW.  Pushing him out the door with a hurried explanation.

   So the hitch gets on after-all.   Life is good.  Now I am sitting here sipping my coffee.  Waiting for my pulse to get back to normal.  Thinking about sleeping for another hour since he will be gone a hour.  Then thinking about all I need to do to pack and get ready.

    Yup, the day is almost upon us....finally.  We will get the van packed up tonight and leave bright and early in the morning.   For the first vacation since 1998.  I am so excited I could spit, except that wouldn't be lady like would it.

   Gosh, maybe I should check the mail.  Maybe my camera filters will be here.  Maybe Ricks shoes.  Maybe the winning numbers to the Readers Digest Million give a way.  Or is it more these days?

   In the morning I will be switching off my alerts.  Don't want the daunting task of seeing 900 alerts when I return.  I am not sure if and where I will be able to use my laptop.  Not at the cabin it sound like.  Maybe at some of the motels.

    We have decided to go to Wyoming.  Drive around and maybe slowly get to the Grand Tetons national park.   or Yellowstone. I have always wanted to go there.  My camera and I will go nuts.  Rick might have a good time also, LOL.  I don't really care where we end up.  It will be nice to be traveling and just relaxing.

    Rick stresses sometimes about where we will sleep at night, but I remind him if all the motels are full we have a very comfortable luxury van with soft leather seats that fold completely down to make a nice resting place.  We'll be fine.

 

    Well.  Time to stop putting off the packing.  I have one cup of coffee in me.  Take care all and hopefully I will be checking in from time to time with a photo or 2000.

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What a nice surprise

     I woke up and  checked my journal and saw all the nice comments left congratulating me.  I won't tell you how many of those contests I have entered but obviously I did hope to win one some day.  It was on my bucket list for those who saw that movie, LOL.   So thanks you all.  I am thrilled.

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Last night of work

       Last night was a good night.  I was charge so the night just flew by.  One more to go.  I am excited.

      Yesterday I spent cleaning house and doing laundry.  I have everything pretty organized so I can throw it all together when we do pack.  Still no hitch.  We are now looking at the unpleasant prospect of putting the bikes in the back of the van.  I have light beige carpet and will have to put a blanket down.  I don't want grease on it.  We still have today and tomorrow for it to get here.  They said it will only take a hour to get it on so keep your fingers crossed.

     I am trying not to stress about Zoey.  I know Dan will take good care of her along with Luke.  I almost wish we had boarded her though.  Hopefully it will work out fine.

     I read in the Rapid City news that bikers should be careful about the rattlesnake on the trails.  Great.  First maybe mountain lions, now rattle snakes.  What next, black widow spiders!  Yikes.

    Tomorrow we have to get our energy jells and Rick is borrowing some bike shorts from our son.  He has resisted getting bike shorts but it really helps on a long trip.

     The weather is suppose to perfect for riding.  Mid 70's.  Not too hot.  I can't wait to be on the trail.  I am bringing my laptop but don't think I will be able to get wireless so you probably won't hear from me until I get back.  We might go to the Grand Tetons after we leave the Black Hills for a week so I am not sure when we will get back.  We just might bum for awhile.
 
     Well, I am getting tired.  Time for sleep.  Take care all.

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A day off

        

        I am off work today and glad of it.  It wasn't a bad week at work but I have much to do and am running out of time to do it.

    I will sleep until around 2:30 and then get some shopping done.   Hopefully they will call to say they got the hitch and can install it.  They we have to get a adapter for our bike rack.   I need to get food on hand for Zoey and Chester.  Need to get some energy gel for riding.  Wash and iron some clothes, clean the house, give detailed instructions to both kids plus emergency numbers where they can reach us.

      Clean out the van, clean out the fridge.  Plan a menu.  Etc..... etc....  I want to get some pepper spray as they have had some mountain lions around.   Don't want them chasing me on my bike but that should would motivating me to get up that hill, LOL.

      Sounds like a awful amount of work for a vacation.  It also doesn't look like my camera parts will be by then, sigh.  I want to go to the library and get a good book to read and some good wine to sit out and stare at the stars with the man I love.

     The last time I was at the Black Hills was with my in-laws.  It was our last trip.  My father in law was already sick and didn't live much longer.  I wish they were going with us again as we had so much fun and I miss them.

     Well, I am drifting here.   Time to get to bed.  2 more nights of work to go.  I just might make it.

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Saturday

       I find myself getting antsy and distracted. Waiting for the day to get here.  Thinking about all the little things we still need to do.  It is bad having to work every day until the trip.  I will have one day to get everything packed and ready.  We have to have a good plan on what to do  if they can't get the hitch on the van.  I have a great bike rack.  Just no way to put in on the van and I am not taking the old van up there.  We will probably have to store the bikes in the van which takes up so much room.

       Work is going well.  Very very busy.  It is making the time fly.  During break I was looking at the TV in the break room.  One of those infomercial.  Reminded me again why I don't have TV.  Tell me.  Why should we have to pay for them to advertise to me.  And if your paying for TV why should there be commercials anyway?  I maybe could understand it when TV was free and easy, but now that you pay a fortune..... why commercial?  They should be paying me, and plenty at that, to watch all the crap they advertise.  That is why I don't wear name brand clothes with their logo all over it.  If they want me to advertise there product, pay me.

     I see these cars with advertising wraps on them.  They ARE paid to do that.  Now that I might do.  If I liked the product.  But this insanity of paying them to let me watch their stupid infomercial.....no way.

    Ok, off the soap.  Guess I am not ready to get a TV yet.  Every time I think about it briefly I remember the things that make me mad.

    Rick is grilling supper and we are having a pot luck at work tonight.  BLT's with fresh tomatoes and homemade bread.  Yummy.  I will probably get pulled to an different floor tonight.  Our census is low.  So hopefully won't be so busy I can't get to it.



    Well, supper is ready.   I love it when someone else cooks for me.  Its good to be the Goddess, LOL.

      6 days to go.

Counting down the days.

         One day of work gone, 5 more 12 hour shifts to go.  Can you say counting down the days.  I am getting excited. 

   The bad news is our hitch still isn't in.  How to get our bikes up there if we don't get the hitch.  I guess if we have to I can bad the top of the roof and they can ride up there because I haven't been planning this trip to the Black Hills to ride the bike trail for over a year only to have it all go up in smoke.  Of course you can rent bikes there but I want to ride on my bike.  My bike that my camera bag snuggly fits on.  My bike that I have trained on.  MY bike.

    Did we train enough for the trail?  Probably not.  Oh well.  If I can't ride up all the hills I can walk.  I am determined to go on the trail and get pictures of the tunnels.  Greg, what setting should I use to shoot in a tunnel, LOL. 

     Friday we are spending the night at Rapid City and going to the brew pup.  Firehouse Brewery.  Then Saturday we go to the cabin.  They don't give you the directions on how to get there until the week before.  Very private and seclude.   I can't wait.

     I had to be charge last night the first 4 hours.  Total chaos.  I must have heard my name called 500 times so it was a relief at 11 to just take on my own patients and do my own thing.   I no longer care to be charge.  Spend to many years doing it and just want to concentrate on my own group of patients these days.  And a lovely group I had.

    I have actually been reading my manual for the new camera.  On line there is a great site with step by step instructions on using the camera with pictures on what buttons to use.  Should have done this class first.

    Well, time to get ready for work and visit some of your journals.  I am way behind as usual on my week to work.  Have a great weekend all.

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